Category: Change

I love using props in my sessions as a way to help clients to understand where they are currently, but also as a way for them to understand how they may be able to navigate through their situation. One of these props helps me illustrate how we allow our focus to get easily diverted and how we get off our intended course or goal.

In my office, a windshield with a steering wheel and a rearview mirror are mounted to a wall. I have the client sit down and look out the windshield. Challenging them to engage their imagination, I ask them to describe the road that they see in front of them. Is it a smooth highway? A dirty back road full of potholes? Or are they off on a beaten path? Once they have this image in their mind, I then ask them to decide where they want to go. Do they want to change the direction they are headed and what would a new destination look like. This leads us into a conversation on goals and the process of counselin ...

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Hello! Please allow me to introduce myself - I’m Audrey Aukeman, the newest counselor at Second Story. I’m so excited to be here, and also to have the chance to share my thoughts on this blog. I’ve been reflecting on a topic that I’m guessing has been on all of our minds this week… winter. Love it or hate it, this season has certainly made its presence known to us this week, with swirling snowstorms and extreme cold.

There was a time in my life when a week like this would have been just plain fun. When I was a kid, I loved the excitement of a surprise snow day and the feeling of community with my family and neighbors — we’re “snowed in!” With each passing year, though, I feel the strain of winter a bit more. Being snowed in means lots of shoveling (which does not excite me). Sometimes it means my pipes freezing or my car not starting. It also means canceled plans and the inability t ...